Company NewsThe Popular Amish Furniture Hardwood: Red OakThursday, January 31st, 2013Red Oak, or Oak is an extremely durable wood with a distinct open grain. This wood is very popular among Amish furniture craftsman due to it's universal appeal, warm look and feel, uniform color, staining ease, and durability.
The colors of Oak can vary from pink, light brown, and sometimes show hint's of green. This variation in color is due to the many subspecies Oak is harvested from.
Amish Mashed Potato SoupSunday, February 12th, 2012This one is perfect for a quick, hot winter meal. 2 T. butter 1 lb. hamburger 1 med. onion 4 C. mashed potatoes Plus- add milk to preferred consistency Directions: Sauté onions in butter and add hamburger, brown. Stir in potatoes until creamy and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cover and heat thoroughly. Add cheese if desired.
Amish Schoolhouses For Amish YoungstersMonday, February 6th, 2012Curious about how Amish children are educated? Well, you’re not alone. Customers often ask me, so I’m sharing a few things I’ve learned about Amish education. In some states, Amish children attend regular, rural public schools, but that is not common. More often, Amish children attend one or two-room schoolhouses run by Amish parents. Local school boards of three to five fathers are responsible for overseeing the school, meaning hiring a teacher, approving a curriculum, and handling the budget and building and grounds maintenance.
Approximately 40,000 Amish youngsters go to approximately 1,500 private schools in the USA. Typically, an Amish youngster’s education ends with the eighth grade. Usually taught in English, classes are led by Amish women who have been educated through eighth-grade in Amish schools themselves. These women are chosen for their natural teaching ability, as well as the way they embody Amish values.
Although reading the Bible and repeating the Lord&r... Perfect Shelf For A Pewter CollectionWednesday, January 18th, 2012
Hi Toby – We enjoy the custom shelf you made for us. My wife, Deb, is using it to display her pewter collection.
Sheltons Love Their Solid Wood Amish-Made HutchThursday, January 12th, 2012
We are so happy with our hutch, the quality is superb. We highly recommend your company to our friends and family. We will order again from your company with our next purchase of furniture. Thanks again so much and have a great year. Phyllis & Robert Shelton
An Amish Thanksgiving InnovationSunday, November 20th, 2011If you want try something new year, serve the potatoes and turkey dressing baked together in one dish. This recipe serves six people, so you may need to double it for a larger group. Save room for pie! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Amish Furniture Factory! AMISH POTATO BREAD STUFFING5 medium potatoes; cooked in their skins Chisels, Planers and AugersSunday, November 13th, 2011While there are many uses for power tools in Amish furniture-making shops, there are some hand tools that simply cannot be replaced. Three good examples of these hand tools are: chisels, planers and augers.
Chisels are used to chip away portions of wood, planers are used to smooth the surface of boards and augers are hand drills. It’s easy to see how each of these old-fashioned tools might come in handy for the more intricate, delicate aspects of furniture making, even though plenty of electric tools are available.
The control factor, being able to feel and sense just the right amount of pressure needed without the interference of electricity is an unmistakable experience common to the true craftsman. Amish craftsmen are masters in the use of these particular hand tools as well as standard power tools they have altered to operate on diesel generators or pneumatic pressure.
Tobin Talks Shop: Diesel Engine-Driven Power ToolsMonday, November 7th, 2011
In an earlier post I discussed the fact that the majority of Amish wood shops operate power equipment in order to produce their furniture pieces consistently and efficiently. Vintage hand tools are still used by some craftsmen, but the majority of shops primarily use electricity. Because 110 volt current running through wires in the walls or conduit pipe along the walls represents connection to the outside world, standard electrical wiring is not the norm. The Amish believe in keeping separate from influences of the outside world, and that’s why they don’t use public electricity.
Of course there are exceptions in various communities and business organizations, but the family craftsman more often than not is using a big electric generator that runs on diesel fuel to power his hand and stand tools. Diesel motors commonly found in Amish workshops may utilize a pulley and belt system which turns a large shaft and generates the power for tools that operate with an electric motor. In other situations there are large pneumatic lines coming into the shop from an outdoor diesel generator to run hand tools that are specially... Are All Amish Buggies Black?Monday, October 31st, 2011Amish horse and buggy rigs are a rather common sight all over the country. In southern Iowa, within 30 miles of our office, it's not uncommon to see Amish buggies driving along the shoulder of state highways as the regular traffic passes by. I must say that I thought all Amish buggies were completely black in color, as all the buggies I've personally seen looked black to me.
So I researched the topic and found out I was wrong. In other states with large Amish populations it is not uncommon to see buggies that are grey in color, or black with contrasting tops. Interestingly, the color of the buggy indicates the particular group to which the family belongs. So the "white-tops" can recognize each other from a distance as members of the same group, as can the "yellow-tops" and the "greys." Most of these variations will be seen in Pennsylvania, still home to the largest variety of Amish and Mennonite groups in the county.
Turns out, there's another reason for the striking similarity in vehicles among ... Amish Apple CrispMonday, October 24th, 2011
Everybody loves apple crisp, and lots of people are wanting more recipes, so here's a perfect one for the fall season.
AMISH APPLE CRISP
5 to 6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, melted
TOPPING 1 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, unbeaten 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Place apple mixture in a deep-dish pie pan. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Mix topping ingredients, except cinnamon, with a fork u... |
